{"id":46766,"date":"2023-02-23T10:00:58","date_gmt":"2023-02-23T09:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=716838"},"modified":"2023-02-23T11:35:35","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T10:35:35","slug":"the-2009-district-carbon-was-the-weirdest-bike-trek-ever-made-and-i-still-want-one-today","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/the-2009-district-carbon-was-the-weirdest-bike-trek-ever-made-and-i-still-want-one-today\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2009 District Carbon was the weirdest bike Trek ever made \u2013 and I still want one today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why Jack will forever dream of owning this utterly daft bike <\/p>

By Jack Luke\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 23 February 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Wildly impractical, tantalisingly rare and defiantly weird.<\/p>\n

These qualities make the long-discontinued Trek District Carbon one of my dream bikes, and I would argue the brand\u2019s coolest bike ever.<\/p>\n

The District Carbon was an ultra-premium, all-carbon, dedicated singlespeed belt-drive bike that absolutely nobody needed \u2013 and few could afford at \u00a32,800. That was just \u00a3100 less than the broadly equivalent Ultegra-equipped Madone 5.9 of the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even with today\u2019s inflated prices<\/a>, \u00a32,800 is still an irrational price for a nominally simple singlespeed bike (let alone in 2009), but that was hardly the point.<\/p>\n

While I need another<\/a> daft<\/a> fixie<\/a> like a hole in the head, my eBay saved search will forever prowl classified listings waiting for the day I have a go-fast hole in my heart (and a suitably fat wallet).<\/p>\n

A short history of the District Carbon \u2013 the bike Trek\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/em>need to build<\/h2>\n
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I\u2019m so glad we\u2019ve moved on from colourful rims.<\/span><\/figcaption> Trek Bicycles<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The original Trek District<\/a> was a dedicated singlespeed commuter.<\/p>\n

Constructed from beefy alloy tubes and finished in a honkin\u2019 grey and orange colour scheme, the bike was designed for day-to-day urban abuse.<\/p>\n

But based on a circa-2010 Madone<\/a>, the District Carbon was an altogether different beast.<\/p>\n

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Dura-Ace 7900 \u2013 what a groupset.<\/span><\/figcaption> Paul Smith – www.smithpic.co.uk<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

At the time, the Madone was Trek\u2019s all-rounder race bike (which bears more than a passing resemblance to the modern-day Emonda<\/a>).<\/p>\n

I would love to know what led Trek to think this would make a good basis for a singlespeed hack, but the cycling world is all the richer for this seemingly irrational whim.<\/p>\n

The District Carbon was available in two builds.<\/p>\n

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The District Carbon was available in a standard drop bar or special-edition flat-bar Livestrong build.<\/span><\/figcaption> Trek<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The first was a stealthy drop-bar build based on finishing kit, tyres, wheels and brakes from Bontrager<\/a>. This was paired with an FSA crankset and a Gates belt drive.<\/p>\n

The stock drop-bar build came in at roughly 7kg depending on frame size, and I still covet it.<\/p>\n

A second flat-bar special-edition Livestrong tribute bike was also shown, but this doesn\u2019t appear to have been available to buy.<\/p>\n

Eccentric in every sense of the word<\/h2>\n
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The rear axle is fixed offset from the centre of the dropout. Turning the dropout around would tension the belt.<\/span><\/figcaption> Trek<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The District\u2019s weird-yet-elegant dropouts appeal to the contrarian part of my brain.<\/p>\n

Most singlespeed bikes<\/a>, including track bikes, hold the rear wheel in slotted horizontal dropouts (technically \u2018track ends\u2019 if you want to be a pedant). Moving the wheel fore and aft tensions the chain.<\/p>\n

The District Carbon used an eccentric dropout that moved the axle of the hub in a fixed radius (concentrically) around the centre of the dropout. Turning this would tension the belt.<\/p>\n

The design would also, in theory, make it possible to run the bike as a fixed gear.<\/p>\n

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The rear end of the bike could be split to fit the belt.<\/span><\/figcaption> James Huang<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Although splittable belts are now commonly available, they weren\u2019t when the District Carbon was produced.<\/p>\n

Unlike a chain, a conventional belt drive belt cannot be split. This requires a gap to be built into the frame to enable the belt to be fitted.<\/p>\n

Most bikes have a gap at the dropouts (this is how the alloy District worked), or a removable slot built into the seatstays. You would then pass the belt through this slot.<\/p>\n

The District Carbon featured a novel design that enabled you to split the chainstays and seatstays at the point they met, sliding the belt between the two.<\/p>\n

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A belt drive and top-shelf carbon. What a time to be alive.<\/span><\/figcaption> Trek<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

To have gone to the effort of developing a bespoke arrangement (when track ends would have worked perfectly well) for a bike that would never sell in large numbers is admirably eccentric.<\/p>\n

That the bike was designed for a belt drive doubles the oddness factor. Belt drives are designed primarily for urban riding, but this was outwardly very much a road-going bike.<\/p>\n

Why not just use a chain like almost every other singlespeed? That would negate the need for a splittable rear end and far more parts are available.<\/p>\n

Why would you want a carbon fixie anyway?<\/h2>\n
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